Part 10: Trials of Dreams.

Obi-Wan stood before the doors to the Council chambers silently reviewing all the times he had been here before with his Master, as Qui-Gon harangued the members into surrender over a seemingly impossible cause.

First there had been the argument to change the wording of the Code, to allow Padawans and other Jedi to realise that emotion was unavoidable in life no matter what the situation, for it coloured every thought and view one made. That by becoming distant and detached one risked loosing the ability to understand the way of the universe, of compassion, guidance and justice, all things which made the Jedi who they were. Not only had he convinced the Council to see the wisdom in his point of view, Qui-Gon had managed to achieve a new system of training the younglings to recognise emotion, as well as the adoption of the older Code, which by changing the word 'no' for 'yet', allowed the existence of emotion within the Order.

Secondly, there had been the argument that younglings should not be denied of their potential to become Jedi just because no Master had chosen to accept them as their Padawan learner. Qui-Gon reminded the Council of the scarcity of Jedi recently, brought on not just by the Lost Nineteen, but practice of celibacy, and the decision to send talented initiates to Bandomeer. He displayed Obi-Wan as the perfect example of where such a mistake had been made, and made a point of thanking Master Yoda for sending him on a mission to the service corps planet while his future Padawan also travelled there, enabling him to realise the potential the boy had, leading them to one of the finest partnerships of the Order.

Obi-Wan had never felt more proud of his Master than that day when the Council agreed to review each youngling who did not get selected, presenting them with the option of remaining at the Temple for more learning, or leaving to follow another career. The numbers of the Order had increased significantly since then.

Lastly, there had been the occasion when Qui-Gon had fought for the extension of what had become known as the Corellian experiment. The Jedi who came from said system were unique in the Order, in that they rarely ventured beyond their native planet for missions in the field, and defied the Code on a regular basis by forming attachments and having children, who went on to become Jedi under their parent's tutelage.

Apart from one notable exception made to a Council Member, the Order accepted such practice only amongst those Jedi who were from Corellia, knowing the planet's tradition in regarding family as important. Qui-Gon however fought to extend the experiment to include the entire Order, arguing that allowing Jedi to marry would increase numbers and destroy the common impression formed by outsiders that the Jedi considered themselves superior to non-force sensitives, being determined to isolate themselves from the Republic which they served.

Now, they were here again, this time on the subject of the Chosen One, whom his Master seemed convinced was Anakin. Obi-Wan observed the boy as he stood beside Qui-Gon, his curious eyes darting about the corridor they were waiting in, taking in every detail they could see. He could not deny that Anakin was powerful in the Force, he could sense the signature in him, a beacon of light so bright as to be immediately distinguishable from all the others who were in the Temple at this moment. But he doubted that Anakin was the Chosen One. True the boy possessed great potential, but his background told against him, having an undeniable impact on his emotional, physical and intellectual welfare.

Instead of freeing him from the clutches of slavery, Qui-Gon had simply bound the boy to another type of indentured service, one from which he could not escape, and would expose him to even more of the evil in this universe. Already the Council's impression of the boy had been coloured by his Master's belief in his potential, rendering the outcome of this meeting dubious whichever way the judgement went.

Whatever this day held for Anakin, the moment would be forever imprinted upon the mind of the boy, inevitably clouding his fate. If he came to learn of the main reason why Qui-Gon had strove to free him, and Obi-Wan held now the increasing certainty that he would, then a burden would be placed on him from which he would never escape, and one that he could never possibility fulfil, perhaps even exceed.

A Chosen One said to bring balance to the Force. Such a concept meant that the Force was unbalanced at this time, which Obi-Wan could not see the logic in, unless the existence of the Sith whom his Master had fought meant that, as oppose to showing the Order that the dark side had to coexist with the light, else chaos would ensue.

But if Anakin was a vergence, then that would imply either that a more powerful Sith existed than the one Qui-Gon fought, and or the boy was meant to learn about both sides of the Force in order to balance it, indicating that the darkness of the Sith was due to rise over the Jedi once more. With all this reasoning in mind, could the Council really afford to take the risk of training Anakin? Obi-Wan doubted it. However he knew his Master's stubbornness, his often single-minded determination to force the Council into conceding the wisdom of his argument. Whatever their judgement, Obi-Wan did not doubt that Qui-Gon would fight to achieve Anakin's acceptance to the Temple, what ever the cost might be.

And while he applauded such methods, Obi-Wan feared what the outcome might prove, and who would be the looser in the conflict.

The doors opened, causing the Jedi to rise to their feet, and enter the chamber, Anakin ushered ahead by Qui-Gon, all three halting in the centre of the room.

"Finished we are with our examination of the boy," Yoda declared. "Correct you were, Qui-Gon."

Master Windu nodded. "His cells contain a very high concentration of midi-chlorians."

Obi-Wan caught the emphasis on 'very high' as opposed to vergence. He knew what was coming even as his Master presumed otherwise.

"He is to be trained then."

"No," Mace replied. "He will not be trained."

Obi-Wan took a side glance at Anakin, feeling sorry for him in having his dreams shattered so publicly. Did the Council have any idea what this could do to a boy already abused by slavery? And yet his Master was equally culpable for not insisting that Anakin remain outside while they heard the judgement of the Council. Obi-Wan knew the Jedi were expected to accept a ruling like this without question and Anakin had a right to hear it. But the boy was not a Jedi, and a little compassion could go a long way in salvaging this situation from having so much of a lasting impact on him.

Qui-Gon was surprised. The word "no," escaped his mouth in a tone full of disbelief.

"He is too old," Master Windu continued. "There is already too much anger in him."

Obi-Wan could feel the anger in this room, but he did not believe it came from Anakin, not at this moment.

"He is the Chosen One," Qui-Gon insisted, causing his Padawan to groan inwardly as his worst fears were proved. "You must see it."

"Clouded this boy's future is," Yoda remarked. "Masked by his youth."

Obi-Wan restrained himself from rolling his eyes at that cryptic comment, which could easily be true of any child, Force sensitive or not. He saw his master take in the gaze then of every single councillor and he realised what was coming. He braced himself for it.

"Very well, I will train him then," Qui-Gon said. "I take Anakin Skywalker as my Padawan apprentice."

Even though he had been warned and anticipated these words from his Master, Obi-Wan was still vulnerable to the shock such a declaration produced. He felt the emotions rising within him, all too familiar, his master having rejected him once before, until the mission to Bandomeer had proved him wrong. Determinedly he sent them into the Force, focusing his attention on the here and now.

"An apprentice you already have, Qui-Gon," Yoda said, a sharply reminder. "Impossible to take on a second."

"We forbid it," added Mace.

"Obi-Wan is ready," Qui-Gon declared.

Before he entered the room, when his master had prewarned him of this, and even when he had spoken of it to Padmé, Obi-Wan had not come to a decision concerning his readiness to become a knight. The Force told him it was a certainty when he was with Padmé, but he had been determined not to appear too eager, too sure of his abilities, for it was not his way, or a Jedi's for that matter. Yet now before he realised what he was about, he heard himself answer, "I am, I am ready to face the trials," in a voice which failed to mask the turmoil of emotions he believed he had under control.

Yoda shifted his gaze towards him, raising an eyebrow in mild rebuke. "Ready so early are you? What know you of ready?"

Qui-Gon looked at him, his expression somehow conveying both apology and admonishment all at the same time. "Obi-Wan is headstrong and he has much to learn still about the Living Force, but he is capable. There is little more he can learn from me."

Obi-Wan saw Yoda never remove his gaze from him as he mastered his emotions. "Our counsel we will keep on who is ready, Qui-Gon," the revered Master remarked.

"Now is not the time for this," Mace said, abruptly bringing the matter to a close. "Queen Amidala called for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum and the Senate will being voting on the replacement tomorrow. She, we are advised, is returning home which will put pressure on the Federation and could widen the confrontation. Those responsible will be quick to act on these new events."

"Drawn out of hiding her attackers will be," Yoda predicted.

"Go with the Queen to Naboo and discover the identity of this dark warrior who attacked you, be it Sith or otherwise," Master Windu ordered. "That is the clue we need to unravel this mystery."

"Decided later, young Skywalker's fate will be," Yoda declared.

"I brought Anakin here," Qui-Gon uttered quietly. "He must stay in my charge. He has no where else to go."

Obi-Wan silently recalled Shmi Skywalker's face as she argued, pleaded and cajoled for him to take her son as a Jedi. Anakin did have somewhere to go, but this was not the time to argue it, particularly not by Qui-Gon, who was still determined to win this fight.

However, on this point the Council the was willing to be generous. "He is your ward, Qui-Gon," Mace conceded. "We do not dispute that."

"But train him not!" Yoda uttered forcibly. "Take him with you, but train him not."

"Protect the Queen," Mace added, "but do not intercede if it comes to war until we have the Senate's approval."

"May the Force be with you," Yoda added in his dismissal.

As Obi-Wan bowed, watching his master do the same, nudging Anakin into the gesture with a firm hand on his shoulder, he heard Master Yoda's voice inside his mind.

-Speak with you, I will,- he said through the Force. -Before you leave, in my rooms.-

-Yes Master,- Obi-Wan replied back before following Qui-Gon and Anakin out of the Council Chamber.

The last time Obi-Wan had been asked to go to Yoda's rooms was when the venerable Master had told him about the mortal nature of Qui-Gon's disease. The Grand Master had been unusually discomposed, appearing saddened, tired and old to a young Padawan so recently accepted back into the order for a second time.

He remembered feeling fearful upon entering the rooms, only to be bathed in the brilliance of the Force, as it seemed to seep from every particle within the Master's chambers. Yoda had been as gentle as he was with his clan students, honest almost to a fault, but a comforting balm as well which Obi-Wan had badly needed just then. Yoda gave him the strength to deal with Qui-Gon's illness and paved the way for him to gain training in healing techniques, the very ones that helped sustain his Master in missions for now.

So despite the Master's judgement on him during the Council meeting, Obi-Wan held no qualms about meeting with him before his departure. He pressed the signal square outside and waited for the door to slide open, allowing him admittance into that room, where the Force still held a brilliancy unparalleled by any other place in the Temple, even the room of a thousand fountains.

He closed his eyes, allowing the Force to wash over him, remembering how he had felt when he showed Padmé the wondrous sight of the Force, how he had tried to achieve conveying the same kind of joy he experienced whenever he visited this Master, or mediated in the room of a thousand fountains. The same chorus washed over him, bathing him in all it's glory.

Master Yoda's voice caused him to return to the moment. "Flowering youth is," he said, a deceptively inane comment, which Obi-Wan felt almost sure was a reference to Padmé. Nothing escaped the foremost Master of the Order it seemed.

"Your opinion on Qui-Gon's illness I need," he began then, ushering Obi-Wan to the meditation cushions with his gimmer stick.

Obi-Wan sat down, sinking gracefully into the crossed leg pose. "He seemed to be coping well, Master," he answered.

Yoda hummed, causing Obi-Wan to wonder if he had chosen the wrong reply. "Are you asking me if I think his illness is affecting his judgement?"

"Know what I ask," Yoda replied, "determine your answer, you must!"

It was a question which Obi-Wan had spent most of the mission silently wondering about. Still he was no closer to an firm opinion one way or another.

"I don't know, Master."

Another hum escaped the revered Master, this one more thoughtful. "Right on one thing, Qui-Gon was," he uttered quietly. "Ready are you."

The words caught him by surprise, as Yoda it seemed knew they would. "Thank you, Master," Obi-Wan answered.

"Needed not your gratitude is," Yoda replied. "Proved yourself a Jedi when last we met like this."

Obi-Wan nodded numbly, his mind still processing the thoughts this revelation had created. "You wish me to remain with Master Qui-Gon," he realised aloud. "To help him with his condition."

Yoda nodded. "Serves you well, your insight always has. Important your continued presence by his side is. Necessary to this mission and the future."

Should he say it, Obi-Wan wondered, half suspecting Yoda knew his feelings already. The Grand Master had always treated him with honesty, it was only right of him to reply in kind. "I would return Qui-Gon to Naboo anyway, Master."

Yoda snorted, tapping his gimmer stick on the floor before pointing it at the Padawan. "Know this already, I do. Ignorant of your feelings for Queen Amidala, I am not! Passed on some of his rebellious nature, Qui-Gon has. Warn you to be careful, I need not."

Bowing his head Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes Master. I know. And we will be." He lifted his head at this and wondered if he imagined the smile on Yoda's face, so brief its presence was.

"Go now you may," the Master said, causing Obi-Wan to rise and bow. "May the Force be with you, Obi-Wan."

"And with you Master," Obi-Wan returned before exiting the room.